Supercharger



Nov. 16, 1937. c. A. KUTCHER 2,099,365

SUPERCHARGER Filed Feb. l2, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Aiiorn eysNov. 16, 1937. c, A. KUTCHER v 2,099,366

SUPERCHARGER Filed Feb. 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n ven for C 5ffafcfiar' fl mw m A'iiorney Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SUPERCHARGER Charles A. Kutcher, Sheridan, Wyo. ApplicationFebruary 12, 1937, Serial No. 125,513

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 230-131) My invention relates generally to asupercharger for internal combustion engines, and particularly to asupercharger for connection to the carbureter of a gasoline engine,which supercharger acts at low speed as a vaporizer, and at high speedas a supercharging device for supplying the intake manifold with fuelmixture under pressure and ina high degree of vaporization, and animportant object of my invention is to provide an eiiicient andpractical arrangement of this character.

Another important object of my invention is to provide improvements overthe subject matter of my Patent No. 2,012,570 by providing for morethorough and efiicient intermixture of air and gas, so as to produce amore highly combustible fuel mixture.

Another important object of my invention is to provide more efiicientbearing lubricating means for the rotor of the supercharger.

Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a readingof the following description taken in connection with the drawings,wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodimentof my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a general longitudinal sectional view taken through anembodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesthe casing of the supercharger which is substantially circular and has asubstantially tangential lower neck portion 6 which is provided with aflange 1 including openings 8 to receive bolts for fastening the casingonto the intake manifold of the engine (not shown).

Mounted eccentrically on one side of the casing 5 by means of screws orbolts 9 is a flange l0 formed on the tubular bearing support II whichprojects substantially axially from the mentioned side of the casing.The barrel H has a reduced extension I 2 which extends through anopening l3 in the side M of the casing and has set in a counterboredportion 15 a ball or roller bearing arrangement Hi. The counterboredportion l5 is larger than the main bore portion I! which leads into anenlarged bore portion H3 at the outer end of the barrel II to define ashoulder l9 against which abuts the roller or ball bearing structure 20.Sliding in the bore portion I8 is an annular ring 2| which has a beveledouter face 22 which is engaged by a conformably shaped annular packing23. The rotor shaft 24 turns in a conforming opening in the packing 23and in the ring 2| and has a reduced portion 25 turning in the ballbearings l5 and 20, respectively. A thrust washer 26 engages the innerside of the ball bearing l6 and one face of the hub portion 21 of therotor plate 28, and a nut 29 on the threaded portion 30 of the saidshaft engages the opposite face of the hub portion 21 in a manner tolock the disk or plate 28 on the shaft 24. The shaft 24 is suitablyoperatively connected to the internal combustion engine. I

A lubricating plug 3| is removable from the top of the barrel H and thisplug ordinarily closes a small passage 32 which opens into the bore ofthe barrel ll whereby lubricant may be introduced for lubricating thebearings l6 and 20,

these bearings being kept separated by a sleeve 33 disposed on thereduced portion 25 of the shaft.

A pressure and suction equalizing passage 34 opens into the chamber 35defined by the right hand side of the bearing 28 and the cut-out lefthand end of the annulus 2! and opens into the interior of the casing 5.The necessity and desirability for this equalizer passage rises from thefact that when the engine idles, it produces a strong suction of air inthe casing and when the engine is speeded up it produces a pressure inthe casing. This phenomenon is due to the difference of speed of therotor to be described in relation to the speed of the engine and thesuction produced by the pistons of the engine. Without such anequalizing means the oil or grease utilized to lubricate the bearingwould be forced out by suction or pressure. The equalizer passage makesthe pressure and the suction equal at opposite ends of the bearinghousing II and prevents disturbance of the lubricant therein. A closureplate 36 is fastened by screws 31 to the outer end of the bearinghousing II.

The described side M of the casing is recessed as indicated by thenumeral 38 and the plain disk portion of the rotor plate 28 turns withinthis recess as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the hub portion 2'! ofthis disk surrounding the inner end of the extension l2 of the bearinghousing as shown.

Axially opposite the shaft 24 is the annulus 40 which is set in anopening 4| in the side 42 of the casing and this annulus extendssomewhat inwardly beyond the wall 42 to prevent raw gas from droppingdown along the side of the casing and to deliver this raw gas to theblades of the rotor. Surrounding the opening M is the curved intakeconduit 43 which has a flange 44 on its upper end provided with boltholes 45 enabling connecting it to the discharge of the carbureter (notshown). The wall 42 of the casing is a removable plate which is fastenedin place by means of bolts 01 screws 46 which engages a flange 41extending radially inwardly from the rim 48 of the casing.

The present embodiment of the invention contemplates a rotor havingthree series of blades denominated 49, B and 5|, respectively, mountedon the rotor disk or plate 28 and two stationary series of bladesdenominated 52 and 53, respectively, the latter being fastened to andprojecting from the removable plate 42 and extending between adjacentones of the movable series of blades as clearly shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings.

On the blade series 49, 55 and 5! the blades are fiat and elongatedrectangular and disposed at an acute angle with respect to any diameterof the circles which they compose and these blades 49, 5B, and 5E,respectively, have one end fastened by suitable means to the plainportion of the rotor plate or disk 28 and to their opposite ends theyhave fastened respective annuli 54, 55 and 56.

The stationary series of plates 52 and 53 have blades which are somewhatnarrower than the rotary blades and the stationary blades 52 and 53' arearranged in alignment with diameters of the circles in which they aredisposed, and these last-mentioned blades have one end fastened in asuitable manner to the removable side 42 of the housing 5 and theiropposite ends suitably secured to respective annuli 51 and 58. As shownin Figure l of the drawings the free ends of the stationary bladesapproach quite closely to the adjacent face of the rotor plate 28, whilethe free ends of the movable blades approach very closely to theadjacent face of the removable plate 42. By increasing the number ofrotary and stationary blades and increasing the reactive relationthereof, more effective atomization and supercharging of the fuelintaken from the carbureter is achieved by the present invention.Further, the provisions for lubricating the shaft thereof render thelubricant free from influence of suction and pressure, so that thelubricant is no longer disturbed, and a more satisfactorily operatingand longer lived apparatus results.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges may be made in the materials and in the structure andarrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed 1. In a supercharger ofthe character described, a casing having a substantially tangentialdischarge, a tubular bearing support mounted eccentrically on one sideof the casing and having a portion extending into the casing, a shafthaving an end located in the support, the said shaft terminatingslightly beyond the inner end of the support, bearings in the supportand engaging parts of said end of the shaft, an inlet member connectedwith the other side of the casing and having its discharge end or mouthin axial alignment with the inner end of the support, stationarycircular series of blades on the last-mentioned side of the casing, arotor having an inwardly extending hub fitting over the inner end of thesupport and connected with the terminal of the shaft, movable circularseries of blades carried by the rotor and in effective relation to saidstationary series of blades.

2. In a supercharger of the character described, a casing having asubstantially tangential discharge, a tubular bearing support mountedeccentrically on one side-of the casing and having a portion extendinginto the casing, a shaft having an end located in the support, the saidshaft terminating slightly beyond the inner end of the support, hearingsin the support and engaging parts of said end of the shaft, an inletmember connected with the other side of the casing and having itsdischarge end or mouth in axial alignment with the inner end of thesupport, stationary circular series of blades on the last-mentioned sideof the casing, a rotor having an inwardly extending hub fitting over theinner end of the support and connected with the terminal of the shaft,movable circular series of blades carried by the rotor and in effectiverelation to said stationary seriesof blades, and a member connected withthe mouth of the inlet member and forming a continuation of the walls ofthe inlet member and extending into the casing to a point inwardly ofthe free ends of the blades of the rotor.

CHARLES A. KUTCHER.

